Magpasalamat Kita sa Kagurangnan Satuyang Dios

Giya sa Prayer-Meeting nin mga Saradit na Komunidad nin Pagtubód (SAKOP) para sa semana kan Oktubre 9-15, 2022. Basahon an Evangelio gikan sa Lucas 17,11-19 (Ika-28 Domingo sa Ordinariong Panahon - C).

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Sa evangelio may binolóng si Jesu Cristo na sampolong leproso, alagad sarô sanà an nagbalík sa pagpasalamat. Kayâ napahapót si Jesus: “Bakóng sampolò an nárahay? Haen an siyám? Tàdaw ta an dayuhan sanáng ini an nagbalík sa pagpasalamat sa Dios?”

Para ki Cristo maninigò asin dapat na magpasalamat kita sa Kagurangnan satuyang Dios. May istorya sa 2 Hade 5 dapit ki Naaman, sarong heneral kan Syria asin leproso. Nabolóng siya kan sinunod niya an pagboót ni profeta Eliseo na magkarigos nin pitong beses sa salog Jordan. Sa pagpasalamat boot niyang magregalo sa profeta alagad nagsayuma ini. Sa hurí sinabi niya: “poon ngonian an saimong sorogoon dai na madolot nin atang sa ibang dios kundi sa Kagurangnan.”

Sa mga biyayang winaras sato nin Dios, igwa nin duwáng orog sa gabos na dai ta kayang balsan kayâ maninigò lamang an satong pagpasalamat: linaláng Niya kita asin tinàwan nin buhay, dangan linigtas Niya kita sa satong mga kasâlan. Sabi ni San Pablo sa Efeso 2,4-5: “An Dios mayaman sa pagkaherak, sa dakulà Niyang pagkamoot sato, maski kan gadán pa kita sa kasombikalan, binuhay Niya kita liwát ki Cristo. Huli sa gracia nin Dios kita nakaligtas.”

Sa Prefacio Comun IV kan Santa Misa may magayonon na pamìbì: “Huli ta minsan nganì dai Mo kaipohan an samong pag-omaw, balaog Mo man giraray an pagpahayag mi nin utang na boot, ta minsan mayong naidadagdag Saimo an samong mga pagharubay, pinapauswag kami sagkod sa kaligtasan.”

Dai kaipohan nin Dios an satong pagpasalamat, kundî an gaweng ini an madara sato sa pagdanay asin pagtalubò sa lindong nin Kagurangnan pasiring sa kapanoan nin buhay sa Saiyang Kahadean.

Pàno kita “maninigò asin dapat na danay asin minsan saen magpasalamat sa Kagurangnan”?

Magpasalamat kita sa paagi nin pagsamba asin pagkamoot Saiya. Sa Exodo 20,2-11, an enot na toló sa Sampolong Tugon dapit sa tamang pagsambá sa Dios na nakipagtipan sa Saiyang banwaan Israel: “Dai kamong ibang Dios na sasambahón, kundî ako saná.” “Dai pagbasangon an ngaran nin Kagurangnan.” “Pabanalón an aldaw nin Kagurangnan.”

An satong pagsimba asin pagpabanal kan aldaw nin Domingo maninigong gawè nin pasalamat na tinugon sato nin Dios. Kayâ nganì an Santa Misa inaapod man na “Eucaristía”, an kahulugan kaini “pagpasalamat”.

Magpasalamat kita sa paagi nin paglakaw sa dalan nin katanosan asin kabanalan. Sabi ni Jesus sa Juan 14,15: “Kun namomòtan nindo Ako, susunodón nindo an Sakong mga tugon”. Kun an dalan na ini an satong lakawan, dadarhon kita kaini sa pagigin siring sa Dios na satong sinasamba asin sinusunod, kita na linaláng na kabaíng Niya.

Magpasalamat kita sa pagkamoot sa Saiyang mga namomòtan. Sabi sa 1 Juan 4,16: “An Dios pagkamoot, asin an tawong nagdadanay sa pagkamoot nagdadanay sa Dios, asin an Dios nagdadanay saiya.” Pag kita namomoot asin nagtatabang sa kapwang nangangaipo, kita nagigin instrumento kan pagkaherak asin pagkamoot nin Dios sa sainda, asin sinda man dinadará sa pagpasalamat sa Dios.

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GIYA SA PAGHIRÁS SA SADÍT NA KOMUNIDAD O PAMILYA • Maghirás kun ano an ipinapasalamat mo sa Kagurangnan sa saimong buhay ngonian? Pàno mo ipinapahiling an pagpasalamat sa Dios.

PASUNOD-SUNOD KAN WEEKLY SAKOP/FAMILY PRAYER-MEETING • Kumustahan/Pamiridbidan • Disposition to Prayer/Silence • Gathering Song • Opening Prayer • Gospel Reading • Reflection • Sharing of Faith Experience • Prayers of the Faithful • Closing Prayer (Spontaneous and Our Father) • Closing Song

 

In All Things Give Thanks

HOMILY

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C

Readings: 2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4; 2 Tim 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19

The Gospel passage this Sunday is about Jesus healing ten lepers and how only one went back to Him to give thanks. This prompted Jesus to observe: "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" 

It has parallels with another healing-from-leprosy story in the First Reading. The Syrian general Naaman sought Elisha the prophet, and upon the latter's instruction, he plunged into the Jordan River seven times and was healed.

If faith is two-fold - God's gift and man's response - then the stories from the First and Gospel Readings imply that gratitude is the first step we take in our faith response. What is this virtue about, and what role does it play in our relationship with God? To answer these questions, I would like to propose that we look at gratitude on three levels.

First, there is a polite gratitude. It is the kind expected by convention and taught by parents to their children. It is borne out of an appreciation for a kindness done, a small gesture of acknowledgment for a good deed. Many of us say "thank you" out of habit, whether it be for those who have done us a favor, or delivered a service paid for. People who tend to forget to say their thank yous are thought of as snobs.

Gratitude in this level functions as a positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior. This may be one of those values that makes interaction within society smoother, a starting point for the habit of being concerned for others. But this is not yet the spirit of gratitude prescribed by the Gospel.

Then there is a humble gratitude, a deeper level of thanksgiving whereby our reflection of a kindness done leads to a realization of the limits of our capacities and merits. We can neither survive nor attain success by ourselves alone. We need others to help us. Indeed our life so far has been sustained by the kindness of family, friends, and even strangers. And we are humbled by this insight even as we are led to see something more.

The humility of Naaman the Syrian and the one Samaritan out of the ten healed lepers helped them see the hand of God moving in their lives. In contrast, the Israelites, perhaps out of a sense of exclusive entitlement to God's grace, failed to recognize the great presence of God happening right before their eyes, both in the times of Elisha and of Jesus.

The poet John Milton writes: "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." Ever so humbly, just before Communion, we utter the words: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed".

Finally, there is an inspired gratitude. Just like faith that cannot remain merely as an enlightened mind or a trustful heart, gratitude at its deepest level cannot but express itself in generosity and seek to bear fruit. It is inspired in the sense that our recognition of a "debt of gratitude" breathes into us a spirit that seeks to repay the debt, or better yet, pay it forward. Thus, kindness begets kindness, love begets love.

It is the kind of gratitude that makes St. Paul testify as in the Second Reading: "Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:10). That he has been loved, forgiven, and chosen, made St. Paul all the more inspired to preach the Good News of salvation even in the midst of difficulties and persecution.

This is what being grateful does to us: it enables us to see God's grace working in our life, helps us acquire a more balanced and grounded view of ourselves, and moves us to play our part in God's greater scheme of things.

St. Paul teaches us: “In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18). Thus, we pray that we be able to see clearly the things we need to thank God for.  And in doing so, let us not just utter polite appreciation, but approach Him in humble worship, and seek to love others just as He has loved us.